


Arsonist's Lullaby

by Patricia_Sage



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arson, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Sokka/Zuko, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Toph Beifong, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Iroh (Avatar) loves Tea, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), M/M, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Past Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Past Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), University, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, iroh owns a coffee shop, katara is aang's tutor, sokka & aang are roommates, sokka is a lifeguard, sokka is on the swim team, toph is aang's tutor, zukka - Freeform, zuko does kung fu, zuko is aang's tutor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24886762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Sage/pseuds/Patricia_Sage
Summary: Modern / University AUSokka likes the swim team and his kinesiology courses, but he loves his boyfriend more than anything. Sokka thinks Zuko is the most beautiful man in the world, but it's hard for Zuko to separate his appearance from his traumatic past.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Aang & Toph Beifong, Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Suki (Avatar), Sokka & Yue (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Katara, Toph Beifong & Sokka, Toph Beifong & Zuko, Toph Beifong/Suki
Comments: 30
Kudos: 693





	1. Chapter 1

Zuko never failed to take Sokka’s breath away when he fought. He was one of the university’s top kung fu athletes, and he was proving that once again at this tournament. Sokka’s voice was strained from cheering so much, but he didn’t care. The smooth and strong way that Zuko used his legs, the simmering focus he had on his opponent, the controlled way he breathed…Sokka couldn’t help it if he lost his mind a little bit.

Watching Zuko fight reminded Sokka of how they had met, stealing glances at each other as they walked to and from the campus athletics centre. Sokka had tried not to be too obvious when he stared into the training room windows on his way past. Although Sokka, lifeguard and captain of the swim team, often smelled strongly of chlorine, that hadn’t stopped Zuko from striking up a conversation with him at the water fountain one day. And here they were, a little over a year later.

Soon Zuko’s last round was over and he was declared the victor. Panting and sweaty but grinning triumphantly, Zuko’s eyes met his boyfriend’s in the bleachers. Sokka pumped his fist in the air, cheering so loud his voice cracked.

*** *** *** *** ***

Sokka used his key card to unlock the door to his dorm room. His other arm was resting on his boyfriend’s shoulders. Zuko’s face was flushed pink as Sokka showered him with compliments. Sokka kissed him on the bottom of his scar as he pushed open the door.

“Hey guys!” Aang greeted. Sokka’s roommate was sitting in their shared kitchen area eating a bowl of cereal, his knees bunched up comically on the bar stool. The dorms weren’t built for a young man who was six feet tall. “How did the fight go?”

“Fine,” Zuko replied.

Sokka scoffed. “More than fine. This man was fucking incredible today.”

“Awesome!” Aang drank the rest of the milk and carefully balanced his bowl on top of the mountain of dirty dishes in the sink. “Hey Zuko, can we move our tutoring session to Sunday? Toph’s wrestling practice got moved to Tuesday this week so I need to meet with her on Monday.”

Zuko shrugged as he and Sokka settled onto the couch. The TV was playing an old episode of _Cake Boss_ with the volume muted. “Fine with me.”

“Great!” Aang easily leapt over the back of the couch and got comfortable, his shoulder pressing against Zuko’s, creating a Zuko sandwich. Sokka felt his boyfriend tense up a bit before shoving Aang with his arm, forcing him to move over. Juxtaposed to his actions, he had a small smile on his face. Sokka couldn’t help but rest his hand on the back of Zuko’s neck and gently play with his shaggy, dark hair. Zuko had a lot of hard edges, but he was very soft.

“Are you staying over tonight?” Aang asked.

“Probably, yeah,” Zuko replied.

“Can you please, please make that curry from the other day? I’ve been having dreams about it. I’m serious.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

“Yes!” Aang pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m telling Katara and Toph to come over for supper.”

*** *** *** *** ***

Sokka didn’t like spicy food, but he was too proud to let anyone know. Zuko always put a lot of heat into his cooking. At the beginning of their relationship, Sokka had hid his discomfort under a mask of enthusiasm, not wanting to hurt his boyfriend’s feelings. At this point, he was so far deep into the lie that there was no escape.

Aang and Toph loved spicy food. Katara didn’t mind it. Honestly, Sokka’s suffering was worth it to see Zuko’s slightly bashful expression when everyone complimented his cooking.

“So, Toph,” Sokka said around his burning tongue, “how’s Rocks for Jocks?” Toph was ridiculously clever, which was why she was currently tutoring Aang in nearly all of the sciences. She could be breezing through med school like her parents wanted, but instead she was taking her sweet time completing a geology degree that she didn’t intend to use.

“Eh, it’s not so bad. There’s this annoying TA, though. He keeps saying stuff like ‘everybody just take a look at this graph for a second’…and then he just sits there in silence. Like, excuse me, asshole.” She waved her spoon in front of her unseeing eyes.

“You should throw some dirt at him.”

“You really don’t understand what geology is, do you?”

Katara interrupted them before they both had too much fun escalating the conversation. “Sokka, how are your classes going? Are you keeping your GPA up?”

Sokka rolled his eyes, “Yes, Mom.”

She hated it when he called her that. Her expression hardened a little. “You’re never going to get into physiotherapy if you don’t get top grades. You spend too much time at the pool.”

Sokka was about to retaliate with another sarcastic comment but was interrupted by a gentle kick to his right shin. Zuko gave him a pointed look. His boyfriend was wary of Katara’s wrath. Azula, Zuko’s sister, was the captain of a debate team that rivalled Katara’s. Because of this, Katara had felt defensive around Zuko for a long time. They were on good terms, but only recently. Zuko didn’t want to get on her bad side again.

“I’ve got a test coming up,” Sokka admitted, “but I’m studying lots. Tell her, Zuko!”

Zuko nodded. “The diagrams that he draws are atrocious, but, yes, he knows his stuff.” Although Sokka’s kinesiology homework and Zuko’s engineering homework were worlds apart, they still enjoyed studying together.

Thankfully, the conversation moved on to Ty Lee’s party next weekend, and Sokka was free of his sister’s scrutiny. The dirty dishes mountain became even bigger.

“I dunno, Toph.”

“No, I can do it.”

Katara entered the kitchen just as Toph let go of her plate, perfectly balanced. “Sokka, what the hell? Aang! How do you two live like this?”

The dishes got washed.

*** *** *** *** ***

Sokka’s bed wasn’t made to fit two people. Even though Zuko radiated body heat, causing them to kick off their blankets every night, Sokka loved it when he slept over. Mostly because it meant they could make out until they fell asleep.

Kissing Zuko was Sokka’s number one favourite thing to do. Followed by swimming, eating, and ultimate frisbee. If he could figure out a way to do all of that at once, he’d be unstoppable.

Zuko’s hair was about shoulder length and so very soft when Sokka ran his hands through it. His gold eyes were dark in the dim light of the bedroom. His chest was muscular and Sokka loved to run his hands all over him, feeling chest hair, smooth skin, and a few rough patches of scarring. Early in their relationship, Zuko had been self-conscious about his bare skin, but not anymore. The scars were remnants of an ugly past, but Zuko himself was the most beautiful man Sokka had ever seen…and he made sure to tell him so.

Zuko’s kisses became soft as he got tired. Sokka conceded, placing his lips on his boyfriend’s collarbone before whispering, “Okay, time for bed.”

“Okay,” Zuko replied. He nudged at Sokka’s hip, eyes sleepy and half-open. The taller man chuckled and gave in to his silent demand, turning around so Zuko could spoon him. With a strong arm draped over his waist and warm puffs of air on the back of his neck, Sokka happily drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked chapter one! Tell me your thoughts!
> 
> Coming up in chapter two: Azula & Zuko visit their mother. Sokka picks up the pieces. (considerably more angst)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Zuko visit their mother. Sokka picks up the pieces.

Sokka woke to the smell of coffee. He opened his eyes and drank in a familiar sight – Zuko, hair rumpled, sitting shirtless at Sokka’s desk and working on his engineering homework. Ever since they had started dating, Sokka had become incredibly appreciative of his East-facing window. The rising sun looked like it was radiating out of Zuko’s skin, and his dark hair seemed to shine.

“Morning,” Sokka said, his voice gravelly from sleep.

Zuko’s voice was always a little gravelly. Sokka wished he would quit smoking. “Morning.”

The alarm clock read 9:30am. Sokka got up and pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s neck. “I’ve got two hours before I have to leave for work…” he muttered, placing his lips on Zuko’s strong shoulder while firmly pressing the palm of his hand on Zuko’s chest.

Zuko turned his head and gently lifted Sokka’s face before capturing his mouth in a soft kiss. When he pulled away, he had a small smile, but the light didn’t reach his eyes. “I can’t. Azula’s picking me up soon and I’m tutoring Aang tomorrow, so this assignment needs to get done.”

Sokka silently admonished himself for forgetting about the family visit today. Katara was right, he needed to write things on his calendar. He gave his boyfriend an easy smile. “Alright, smarty-pants, keep up the good work.” He kissed Zuko’s dark hair before leaving the bedroom.

Aang was doing yoga in the living room, like he did every weekend morning. He made eye contact with Sokka from his downward dog position, looking at him upside down from between his legs. “Mornin’!”

“You have your coffee yet?” Sokka asked, scooping some medium roast grounds into the coffee machine.

“Yep! Zuko made me some at seven.”

“I don’t get you guys.”

Sokka got lost in his thoughts, listening to the coffee machine gurgle and slowly fill his mug (a birthday gift from Katara, hand-painted with the design of a white fish and black fish swimming around each other). Once a month, Azula and Zuko traveled out of the city to visit their mother. Sokka knew that it was important, but a small part of him wished the family visits were even less frequent… It seemed as if Zuko had only just fully recovered from the last one.

“You work today, right?” Aang asked.

Sokka added a splash of milk to his coffee before taking his first sip. “Yep. Twelve to four. What are you up to?”

“A bit of homework. I promised Bumi I’d take Appa and Flopsy for a walk around lunchtime. But then I’m free!” Aang must have finished his yoga routine because he walked over to the kitchen island to sit next to Sokka. “Want to hang out after work?”

Sokka rolled his eyes, “You’re just lonely because Katara has her debate tournament.”

“No, I want to hang out with my roommate!”

“I am not a replacement for my sister, that’s gross.”

“Shut up!”

Zuko walked out of Sokka’s bedroom. He had, unfortunately, covered his bare chest. His T-shirt had a design of a red dragon. He reached the coffee machine and refilled his mug. Zuko drank his coffee black. “How’s the assignment going?” Sokka asked.

Zuko shrugged. “Almost done.”

Aang turned to Sokka when the bedroom door clicked shut once more. “Is he okay?”

Sokka sipped his coffee before shaking his head a little. “Family visit today.”

“Oh.”

The two men sat in silence, both recalling the night Sokka (with his boyfriend’s permission) had told Aang about Zuko’s family. Sokka remembered how Aang had struggled not to cry. Aang’s capacity for empathy was one of his best qualities. Sokka was sure he was going to make an amazing politician when he graduated.

Sokka had barely kept himself together when Zuko had opened up about it, around six months into their relationship. Nothing had prepared him for how to react to something like that. What do you say to someone when they tell you their father was an arsonist who snapped one day and tried to burn down the house with his family inside? How do you comfort someone whose mother had a breakdown and now lives in a supported facility?

Sokka broke the heavy silence between them. “Yeah, let’s hang out tonight.”

*** *** *** *** ***

Working was a great way to take for Sokka to get his mind off of something. It was hard to brood when splashing in a pool and singing songs with a bunch of five-year-olds.

“Okay, does everyone have their turtle?” Sokka asked, holding his cupped hands in front of himself expectantly.

“Mine’s a turtle duck!”

“That’s interesting. Okay, here we go – _I had a tiny turtle_ …”

One of the kids interrupted the song, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Sokka sighed. This was about the third time this kid had asked to go. But refusing this kind of request was a dangerous game he wasn’t about to play. “Okay, but come back quick. We’re doing our floats and then class is done.”

The songs were an escape from his thoughts, but he later found himself zoning out instead of watching the Level 6 kids do their front crawl.

“Earth to Sokka,” the head guard, Yue, called out as she passed him on the deck. Behind her was a trail of three-year-olds looking like orange marshmallows in their PFDs.

“Sorry. Yes ma’am.” Having his high school girlfriend as his boss should have been awkward, but it actually wasn’t.

The rest of his shift went by relatively smoothly and soon he was leaving the aquatics centre smelling of chlorine.

Aang waved at him from the bus stop across the street. Sokka jogged over. “Where are we going?” he asked.

"Your hair’s wet,” Aang replied.

“Yeah, baldy, that’s what happens when you’re submerged in water.”

“It’s dripping on your shirt.”

“Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” Sokka teased. “This date is getting off to a terrible start.”

“No, I’m not –” Aang checked his phone. “Bus will be here in three minutes. We’re going to the Jasmine Dragon.”

“Alright.” The Jasmine Dragon was only a few blocks away from campus, so it was a popular coffee shop among university students. It was also run by Zuko’s uncle, Iroh.

However, it wasn’t Iroh at the counter when they got there. “Hey, Jin!” Aang greeted. The girl smiled kindly and took their order – vegan carrot cake and a green tea for Aang, a panini and a mocha for Sokka.

Aang and Sokka had been chatting for about ten minutes before someone approached their table. “Hello, boys.” It was Iroh, having evidently seen them from the kitchen. Iroh was a pleasant looking man, mid-sixties, with an easy smile and kind eyes. The roommates greeted him happily. “My nephew did not come home last night. I assume he was with you?” Iroh had lost his teenage son to Leukemia, but he gained custody of Zuko and Azula after the incident. Azula had moved out when she was 18, but Zuko stayed.

“Yes, he made us curry last night!”

Iroh chuckled at Aang’s enthusiasm, but his expression became more solemn. “I wish he would call me when he is not coming home. I worry.”

“Sorry, Iroh.” Sokka wasn’t sure why he apologized, but it felt right.

Iroh smiled. “I am glad he is safe and happy.”

*** *** *** *** ***

Zuko returned around 5:30pm to find Aang and Sokka in the middle of an episode of _Game of Thrones_. Zuko wasn’t supposed to have a key, but Sokka had executed a flawless plan a few months ago. Sokka turned at the sound of the door closing. “Zuko!”

“Hey.” The engineering student looked impossibly tired, shoulders hunched and eyes downcast.

Sokka scrambled over the back of the couch to give him a hug. “Did you eat supper? Sorry, I sound like Katara.”

Zuko didn’t smile. “No, but it’s fine. I’m not hungry. I just came to get my keys.”

“You’re going home?” Sokka asked as Zuko walked into the bedroom, returning with his lanyard in his hand.

“I’m going to the athletics centre. Don’t wait up.”

The door shutting behind him wasn’t loud, but to Sokka’s ears it was deafening.

*** *** *** *** ***

It was nearly 8:00pm and Sokka couldn’t concentrate on his anatomy homework. After every flashcard he pressed the power button on his phone, but there were no messages from Zuko. One time his screen lit up, but it was only Katara.

Katara: _My team won the tournament!_

Sokka: _congrats!_

Katara: _Azula wasn’t there. I’ll rub it in her face next weekend._

Sokka typed and erased his response a few times before deciding to leave it alone. There was no way to tell his sister to be more sympathetic to Azula without discussing her and Zuko’s family matters. It wasn’t his place.

Sokka let out a frustrated noise and shut his laptop forcefully. He grabbed his swim team jacket from the back of his chair and put it on. He was halfway out the front door when Aang tumbled out of his room, pulling his orange sweater over his bald head. They didn’t exchange any words, but Sokka held the door open for him while he pushed his feet into his shoes.

The air was brisk as they walked to the athletics centre. “Maybe he went back to Iroh’s,” Aang offered, but it didn’t sound like he believed his words.

“I have to check.”

“Yeah.”

Sokka and Katara had lost their mom in a car crash when they were young. Sokka deeply understood the feeling of loss, but he couldn’t understand the complexity of Zuko’s trauma. When Ozai had set fire to the house five years ago, Ursa and Azula had been watching TV together in the living room, so they were near enough to the front door to escape. Zuko, however, had been asleep in his room. The firefighters managed to get him out, but not before he had been badly burned. Ursa lost her grip on reality and had been living in a supported facility since. From what Sokka understood, she was processing the trauma by repressing her memories of what had happened. Every time she saw Zuko’s face, she remembered.

The lights were on in the training room.

Aang looked at him with big grey eyes. He wanted to help but wasn’t sure what to do. Sokka reached up and touched his shoulder. “You wait here.” Aang nodded.

Zuko didn’t turn when Sokka opened the door. He looked like a puppet whose strings had been cut, crumpled in front of a punching bag, hair hanging in front of his eyes and shoulders hunched. He was still wearing his jeans and T-shirt. He looked impossibly small.

Sokka gently called his name.

Zuko looked up and Sokka thought he was going to drown in his golden eyes. He had been crying but there were no tears now, only a bone-deep tiredness and sorrow. Sokka sunk to his knees in front of his boyfriend, gently moving the hair away from his eyes and cradling his face.

When Zuko spoke, it was a frayed whisper. “She would be better without me.”

The doctors insisted that Zuko visit Ursa so that she could process what happened and hopefully accept her son’s scars. But it hadn’t happened yet.

“No, it’s not you,” Sokka replied passionately.

“It’s _my_ face!”

“I-” Sokka never had the right words to say. He pulled Zuko into a strong embrace and rubbed his back while his other hand gently held the back of his head. “I love you.”

Zuko cried for a few minutes, clutching onto Sokka’s jacket. When his tremors settled and he wiped his eyes, Sokka helped him to his feet. “Come on, we’re going home.” Zuko nodded. “Aang is just outside the door. I’ll tell him to text your uncle.”

“Thanks, Sokka.” Zuko tried to compose himself a bit before they opened the door. Sokka knew it took all of Aang’s willpower to not hug the engineering student the moment he saw him.

They walked home in silence, with Zuko tucked under Sokka’s arm and Aang towering over the both of them like a sentinel.

*** *** *** *** ***

The next morning, Sokka pretended he wasn’t hovering, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. He took way too long eating his tuna sandwich just so that he was near the living room while Zuko tutored Aang.

Aang was pretending like last night hadn’t happened, but he was joking around with Zuko a lot more than usual. Zuko rolled his eyes, but Sokka could tell he was grateful for the distractions. Not that calculus homework wasn’t a distraction enough. When Sokka left, Aang was showing Zuko all the ways he could use his fidget spinner and Zuko was practically begging him to focus on the worksheet.

When Sokka returned forty minutes later, Zuko’s tutoring was over and the two men were playing _Mario Kart_.

“Oh, come on, guys. I expected to see couple yoga, not video games.”

“We took _one_ partner yoga class together!” Zuko snarled.

“And it was actually lots of fun,” Aang chimed in.

Sokka balanced his backpack on one of the kitchen stools. “And what was the exercise called again?”

Zuko’s cheeks flushed. “The Dancing Dragon.”

“Right.” Sokka sat next to his boyfriend on the couch and kissed him on the cheek, but Zuko didn’t look away from the screen until the race was over. Aang got first place. “I got you something,” Sokka said, pulling two tickets out of his pocket.

Zuko put the controller down and turned to him. “Tickets?”

“Our favourite university theatre troupe is performing tonight.”

Zuko snatched the tickets out of his hand. “Fuck off, what play are they butchering this time?” Zuko was a bit of a theatre nerd. The Ember Island Players were always making strange interpretations of his favourite plays. Zuko loved to talk shit about the Ember Island Players and Sokka loved to listen to Zuko talk shit about the Ember Island Players. Ironically, making Zuko mad was the best idea Sokka had to help him feel better.

Sokka loved Zuko in a way he’d never loved anyone else. Zuko's happiness was like a boomerang - even if it got thrown, it always came back. And Sokka would always be there to catch him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really appreciate any feedback you have! Let me know what you thought!
> 
> I have one more bonus chapter planned: Ty Lee's party.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter: Ty Lee's party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I’d add a bit of Book 1 aggressive & dramatic Zuko in here. I tend to write these guys too soft, I admit. I'm just a sucker for that kind of love.

“I didn’t fucking cheat!” Zuko’s furious voice managed to rise above the loud music. Hearing this, Sokka craned his neck, searching for his boyfriend in the crowd packed into Ty Lee’s living room like sardines. Catching a glimpse of Zuko’s red jacket, Sokka turned back to Suki.

“Sorry, Suki -”

She interrupted him, chuckling. “Go get him. We’ll catch up later.” She returned to her entourage, effortlessly entering the center of the dance circle. Sokka turned his back to the group of women hyping each other up and wove his way through the crowd.

“It’s not even possible to cheat at arm wrestling, you idiot!” Zuko sounded infuriated and derisive. Sokka knew who he must be speaking to.

Jet looked smarmy as usual, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He seemed to be entertained by how he was riling the other man up, which only made Zuko angrier. Sometimes, Sokka imagined flames coming out of Zuko’s mouth. “Yeah you can,” Jet replied, “Your form was incorrect.”

“My form was _perfect_.”

Sokka placed a hand on Zuko’s elbow. Jet turned his cold gaze to him. “Sokka. How’s your sister doing?”

Sokka took a deep breath. Jet and Katara had dated briefly in first year, but she broke up with him when she realized he was a bit of a fuckboy. “Shut up, Jet.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jet stood up to leave, his plastic cup held loosely in his hand. “Take your bitch and go.”

Zuko was too angry to even swear. He lunged forward faster than Sokka could think about holding him back, violently kicking the low table out of his way before grabbing Jet by the front of his jacket. Sokka felt a small flash of pride at the startled and intimidated look on Jet’s face, but he ran forward before Zuko started something he would regret. Zuko could hold his own (he was one of the university’s best kung fu athletes, after all), but starting a fight and getting kicked out of Ty Lee’s house was not part of tonight’s plan.

Sokka grabbed Zuko’s arm just as the shorter man wound it back to land the first punch. Jet took the opportunity to quickly wrestle out of the grip on his collar. His drink was spilled on the carpet. Jet snatched the cigarette out of his mouth before pointing it at Zuko’s snarling expression. “You really want to do this, Scarface?”

Zuko pulled his arm out of Sokka’s grip to smack the cigarette away. “Fuck off.” He was considerably more direct in his insults.

Sokka jumped in between them and held his hands up, one of them soft on Zuko’s chest and the other roughly pushing against Jet’s chin. “That's enough!” He demanded frantically.

Jet shoved Sokka’s hand before flipping them off and walking away. Zuko scowled at his retreating form, his jaw clenched and fists tight. Sokka placed his hands on Zuko’s shoulders. “Hey,” he said, voice barely audible over the pop music being blasted from a nearby speaker. The people around them dispersed once they realized there wasn’t going to be a fight after all.

Zuko took a few breaths before he replied. “Hey.”

“I leave you for, like, five minutes and you nearly start a brawl,” Sokka teased.

Zuko’s eyes flashed defensively. “I didn’t start anything! He’s the one who made me arm wrestle him and then had the audacity to say I cheated!”

“So, you beat him?”

Zuko scoffed, although his body was relaxing under Sokka’s calming presence. “Of course, I beat him.”

Sokka let his hands run down Zuko’s strong arms to hold his hands. “Proud of you.”

Zuko’s frown disappeared but he wasn’t smiling yet. “Thanks.”

“Dance with me.”

“I don’t know.”

Sokka put his hands on Zuko’s waist, making the other man blush. “Come on. Everybody’s watching Katara and Aang right now; no one’s looking at us.” Katara and Aang took a variety of partner dance classes, and they weren’t ashamed to show off. Right now, they were demonstrating some air steps, Katara flipping over Aang’s back. Sokka was right, they had everyone’s attention.

Sokka began to groove to the song, doing weird dance moves to make Zuko laugh. The engineering student didn’t do much more than bob his head and shuffle his feet, but it was something.

A few songs later, someone easily convinced Aang to do a keg stand. Sokka and Zuko were cheering him on when Ty Lee bounced up to them.

“Your sister needs you.”

“For what?” Sokka replied. Katara seemed too busy worrying about her boyfriend.

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. “Not you, silly.”

Zuko raised his eyebrows. Across the room, Azula pointed a sharp fingernail at him, a deadly and expectant look on her narrow features. Sokka couldn’t help but feel nervous at the sight of her, but Zuko only sighed. “Why –” he cut himself off when he noticed Jet beside Azula, preparing drinks and shots on the counter. “Agni Kai?”

Ty Lee confirmed, “Agni Kai.”

Agni Kai was a popular drinking game at university. It was a team game and absolutely deadly. A race to the end, each team had to take turns chugging two full beers and taking a shot before the other team finished.

Zuko crossed the room without a word, cracking his knuckles. Azula cackled in triumph.

Before Sokka could follow, Ty Lee grasped his arm. “Sokka, sweetie, I have a question for you.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

Ty Lee was the most confident person Sokka knew, but she looked nervous under the low lights of the makeshift dancefloor. She seemed to think about what she was going to say and then abandon that conversational plan, instead blurting out, “I like Azula.”

“Okay.”

“Like, _really_ like Azula.”

“Sure.”

Ty Lee grabbed him by the shoulders. “Like, really, really _like_ -like Azula.”

“Oh!” Sokka didn’t know how to respond, so he gave her a thumbs up. She let go of him with an exasperated sigh.

“How did you ask Zuko out?”

Sokka thought back to early conversations at the athletics centre a little over a year ago. It had been a very thrilling and confusing time for Sokka. He had been about 80% sure that Zuko was into him, but whenever Sokka had flirted it was like the other man missed all his signals. By the time Sokka had abandoned all complex flirting plans and just told Zuko he liked him, Zuko’s face was a mixture of flustered delight and surprise. The ‘surprised’ part broke Sokka’s heart, but he made sure Zuko knew he was hot as hell every day since then.

Sokka knew what Ty Lee was really asking, but he wasn’t sure he could give an answer. Azula and Zuko were similar in many ways – abrasive, competitive, bad at flirting, sexy in a slightly terrifying way. But when Sokka thought about Zuko he didn’t immediately think about those qualities. Instead, he thought about the engineering student’s softer side – the way he blushed so easily, the kind and supportive way he tutored Aang, the proud expression on his face when someone laughed at his terrible jokes. Sokka wasn’t sure that Azula had a soft side.

But Sokka saw himself in Ty Lee, hopeful and smitten. So, he decided to try his best to give her some advice. “I spent a long time sending Zuko signals that he did not pick up.” Ty Lee nodded rapidly. “But everything was a lot easier when I just told him exactly how I felt.”

“That’s so scary,” Ty Lee said, running her hands down the length of her long ponytail nervously. “What if she doesn’t want me?”

“Listen, I don’t know Azula very well. But I’ve seen the way she acts around you. I think…even if she doesn’t like you back romantically, she’s not going to stop being your friend. You’re obviously very important to her.”

Ty Lee was usually so bubbly. It was unusual to see her pensive and worried. “Thanks, Sokka.”

He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go watch them kick Jet’s ass.”

“Okay!” Perky Ty Lee was back.

When Sokka and Ty Lee came up to the kitchen counter, the Agni Kai had already begun. Azula was facing off against Jet’s gigantic friend (hilariously nicknamed Pipsqueak), and they were both about halfway through their first beer. “Go Zula!” Ty Lee shouted, breaking out a few of her cheerleading moves. One solo cup down, Azula threw back the vodka shot a second before Pipsqueak.

Zuko picked up his cup the second his sister’s shot glass touched the counter, but Jet was right behind him. Sokka joined Ty Lee in cheering, even copying a few of her moves.

Jet finished his shot barely before Zuko. Azula and Pipsqueak picked up their last cup of beer. Once again, Azula beat him. It was up to Zuko to finish his cup before Jet.

They were all yelling but nobody could understand a single word. Instead of placing his empty cup on the counter, Zuko threw it, and it bounced before hitting Jet in the chest. Jet’s expression soured when he realized he lost.

Sokka tackled his boyfriend in a hug. Azula looked like she owned the place. She dismissed Jet and his friends with a wave of her hand.

“Where’s Katara?” Azula demanded.

“Oh no.” Zuko muttered. He was significantly more drunk than he was before.

“I don’t know, Azula…” Sokka began. She cut him off, grabbing his shirt collar.

“Find your sister!” she yelled. Sokka did.

The next Agni Kai was significantly sloppier than the one before. Sokka and Zuko faced off first, but they couldn’t stop laughing whenever they made eye contact over the rims of their cups. Way too much beer went down their windpipes, especially when their sisters punched them in the shoulders for not trying hard enough.

In the end, Katara and Azula finished their drinks at the same time. Zuko grabbed Sokka’s hand and they made their escape as their sisters began arguing. They went through the kitchen and out the backdoor, breathing in the crisp night air. Sokka’s heart expanded at the sight of his boyfriend, face flushed from inebriation and laughter.

Mai and Toph were playing a game of beer darts on the lawn. Zuko exchanged an awkward but kind wave with his ex-girlfriend. “Who’s that?” Toph asked upon hearing them arrive.

“It’s Zuko and Sokka,” replied Mai flatly.

Toph threw another dart in Mai’s direction and Sokka let out a strangled sound of alarm. Out of everyone they knew, Mai would be the one to play a game of beer darts with a blind woman. She calmly stepped out of the way and Toph’s dart landed a few feet away from the beer can. “If you guys are gonna to make out,” Toph pointed a finger in their direction threateningly, “You’d better fuck off to the other side of this yard. I can’t see but I can hear really well and I’m not afraid to throw a dart at any gross mouth noises.”

Zuko looked sufficiently alarmed. “Okay, okay. I just came out here for a smoke, anyway.”

“And to escape from our sisters,” Sokka added.

Toph shrugged. “Sure, you came out for a smoke… For a makeout sesh with your smokin’ hot boyfriend!”

Sokka laughed approvingly, delighted by Zuko’s embarrassed expression. “I’m going to make the grossest mouth noises you’ve ever heard,” Sokka challenged.

Toph brandished a dart threateningly. “They will be the last noises you ever make.”

“Let’s go.” Zuko grabbed his boyfriend’s hand and walked toward the back porch. “See you later!” he awkwardly called to the ladies.

“Rude,” Toph muttered, but Zuko didn’t seem to hear.

Zuko lit a cigarette as he leaned against the porch railing. “Your sister is terrifying,” Sokka admitted, pressing his shoulder against his boyfriend’s right side.

Zuko shrugged. “Yeah. She likes you, though.”

“Really?”

“She likes that you make me laugh.”

“Okay, great, because you’ve got the best laugh in the business.” Sokka was pleased to be rewarded with a chuckle in return.

Zuko hooked one of his fingers under Sokka’s shell necklace and pulled him forward into a kiss. Sokka tried to ignore the taste of nicotine and focus on the softness of his boyfriend’s lips. He tangled one of his hands in Zuko’s long hair.

They were interrupted by someone clattering out of the door behind them. “Whoops, sorry!” Zuko and Sokka separated to see a red-faced Aang, drunk and unbalanced. Sokka thought about how much it would hurt for a 6’2” man to fall over…and how much it would hurt to try and catch him.

“Hey man,” Sokka greeted. Zuko returned to his cigarette. “What’s up?”

“It was a tie, but they were trying to make me pick a winner! You know me – I always play fair, I’m all about balance. And I didn’t want to lie and say that Katara won but I also didn’t want to, like, betray my girlfriend. So I, um, ran away.”

“And you don’t think she’ll consider _that_ a betrayal?” Zuko asked neutrally.

Aang’s eyes widened. “Oh, no.”

Sokka put a steadying hand on his roommate’s arm. “Hey, man. You’ll be fine. Take it from me – I’ve pissed Katara off countless times and, look, still here!”

“That’s true.” Aang was distracted by the sight of the two women throwing darts on the other side of the lawn. “Hey, there’s Toph and Mai!” He looked over at Zuko. “Is it weird seeing her?”

“Which one?”

“Mai.”

“Oh, not really.” Zuko was always considerate to blow smoke away from Sokka and Aang because he knew they hated the smell. “I mean, I see her every week when I pick up flowers for Uncle.” Iroh insisted that the Jasmine Dragon have fresh flowers at the counter. Mai’s flower shop was only a few blocks away.

“Huh.” Aang leaned against the railing next to Sokka. “That’s nice that you two are friends.”

Zuko shrugged. “As far as breakups go, it wasn’t that bad. I’m pretty sure she knew I was gay before I did.” Sokka laughed. Zuko didn’t share personal information very often, but he got a little chatty when he was drunk.

Aang turned his bright grey eyes to Sokka. “What about you? Is it weird seeing Suki?”

“Nah. It was rough at first, but it’s been long enough that we’re chill now. That woman’s unstoppable, let’s be real.” All three men nodded seriously for a few seconds.

Sokka interrupted the silence by smacking his hand against the railing and pointing to the porch steps. “Aang, do a flip.”

“Okay!”

Zuko let out a startled cough as Aang backed up a few paces before running toward the edge and jumping off. He did a perfect front flip, but his landing was unsteady, and he ended up in a giggling heap on the grass. Sokka cheered loudly while Zuko began to laugh. But their celebration was cut short.

“Aang!”

Katara’s silhouette was surrounded by the light of the kitchen. Even though the men couldn’t see her face very clearly, they could imagine the blaze of anger and disapproval. Zuko extinguished his cigarette on the railing before grabbing Sokka’s waist and fleeing with him down the steps. 

“Wait!” Aang called after them, but he was too slow getting up.

Katara’s voice was almost drowned out by Sokka’s laughter. “What were you thinking? You could have broken your neck!”

Zuko and Sokka made it around the side of the house before they stopped, out of breath. Sokka, his arm around Zuko’s shoulders, used his position to gently push his boyfriend against the wall, their noses almost touching. “Narrowly escaping death really gets me going,” he said.

“Yeah?” Zuko rasped. Sokka claimed his mouth in a rough kiss.

“Mouth noises!” Toph’s furious voice rang out.

And once again they were running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t drink if you’re underage and don’t start smoking. I tried to make sure I wasn’t making smoking seem cool. It’s not. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you liked this bonus chapter! Comments are always appreciated.


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